Preface

During my research it happens every now and then that I really get stuck. Most of the time, it was possible to go on after getting some information from family members or from other researchers who helped me. Some of these brick walls are too high for me at the moment, so here I'm stuck again. Perhaps you can help me to overcome those? Any offer is highly welcome.

My brick walls

John B. Baptist Zacherle

His story

John B. was born in Germany in the mid 19th century. He was sent to America because his mother didn't want him to be forced to participate in the wars that were taking place in Europe in that time. He didn't speak or read a single word of english and taught himself english with the help of an english bible. Perhaps this is why he called himself John Baptist? You can read more about him at this place.

John B. Zacherle	Pauline Cleveland

What I know of him

He was born on June 18 1867 in Germany and immigrated to the US in 1884. Concerning the name of his parents, we have conflicting evidence. One source tells us that the names of his parents were Walburga Lauter. The other one says that the surname of his father was Zacherle, and the maiden name of his mother was Heits. On April 27, 1892 he filed his Declaration of Intention in Skagit County, Washington (Skagit County Naturalization Record, ID 20823, Volume 1, Page 46). In 1900 he lived in Port Madison, Kitsap County, Washington (US Federal Census, Page 33A). A year later he married Pauline Cleveland. The Federal 1930 Census listed him as living in Sawyer, Washington. On December 8, 1951, he died. You can find a picture of his Naturalization Record here.

The Washington State Archives Central Region has looked up their records. There is no naturalization record for the Benton, Chelan, Douglas, Franklin, Grant, Kittitas, Klickitat, Okanogan, and Yakima Counties for the name Zacherle. Additionally, the Washington State Archives Northwest Region has looked up their records and did only find the Declaration of Intention of John B., so there is nothing more for the Clallam, Island, Jefferson, San Juan, Skagit, Snohomish, and Whatcom Counties. The Puget Sound Regional Branch Archives do not have any records for him in King County, Pierce County and Kitsap County from 1888 till 1906.

What I need to know

I am specially interested in the name of the town where he was born. John B.'s daughter remembers her father talking of his former live in south Germany, and especially remembers talks about the town Vöhringen near the bavarian-wuerttembergian border, near Ulm. Perhaps finding some ship manifest can shed some light on that?

As I do not have his social security number, I cannot order his SS-5 (the application sheet when he applied to be given a social security number). On that SS-5 would be the place of birth (including the town) and the full name of both his parents.

After collecting so much information about him, I thought I could compile a short biography about him. Well, it was more work than I thought, but in the end I think that it wass well worth the effort. I now have a document that I can present and share with others! Of course, one of the intentions is to attract relatives in Washington State or genealogists to be interested in his wherabouts and visiting the courthouse or the funeral home in Omak and ask for the documents of John B. You can download the biography at

http://www.zacherle.com/John_B._Zacherle_Biography.pdf.